Rail fastener



Patented Mar. 26, 1940 PATENT OFFICE RAIL FASTENER Charles W. Dawson, Oakmont, Pa., assignor to Woodings-Verona Tool Works, Verona, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 31, 1938, Serial No. 187,987

1Claim.

This invention relates to fasteners for securserves as a creep check.

In accordance with this invention a railroad rail is held in place by a fastener that has a vertical shank secured in a cross tie. The upper end of the shank terminates in an integral extension that is split longitudinally to form an upright driving head and a laterally projecting resilient arm for engaging the top of the adjacent rail base flange. When the fastener is in place its rail-engaging arm is distorted upwardlyby the go base flange, whereby the rail is resiliently clamped onto its seat and is anchored against longitudinal creeping. This fastener can be'used with ordinary tie-plates and can take the place of a spike for securing the rail and tie-plate to the underlying cross tie. By making the shank of the fastener of substantially the same cross-section as the tie-plate spike hole through which it extends, it can not turn in that hole and permit its rail-engaging arm to slide off the rail base flange nor loosen its grip on the rail.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is afragmentary cross-section through a rail, tie-plate and cross tie, showing my rail fastener in elevation; Fig. 2 is a plan of the fastener alone; and Fig. 3

is a transverse section of the shank taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, a tie-plate l is mounted on top of a wooden cross tie 2, and is provided transversely of its upper surface with a rib 3 forming an integral shoulder that defines one side of a rail seat and prevents lateral movement in that direction of the rail base flanges t mounted on the seat. The tie-plate is provided with the usual square spike holes 6 at the edge of the rail base.

In order to hold the rail down on its seat in accordance with this invention, a-rail fastener, preferably made in one piece from a rod bent to shape, is disposed in a tie-plate hole 6 with its shank 1 extending downwardly into the cross tie for securing the fastener in place. The shank has a pointed lower end 3 to permit it to be driven into the tie which generally has a preformed.

spike-receiving hole 9 therethrough. The upper end of the shank terminates in an integral extension that is split longitudinally above the tieplate to form an upright portion II that serves as a driving head, and a laterally projecting arm I! for engaging the top of the adjacent rail base flange 4. Preferably, the upper portion of the fastener is substantially bifurcated, and the arm is curved up and down in a vertical plane to provide an upwardly curved bearing engaging the rail base flange.

The fastener is most suitably made from a metal bar having some resiliency, whereby when it is driven into the tie its rail-engaging arm is distorted upwardly from the broken line position shown in Fig. 1 and biases the rail downwardly against its seat at all times. The resiliency of the arm also permits the usual slight rise and fall of the rail without raising the fastener as a whole and thereby loosening it in the cross tie. By using a shank of rectangular cross-section,

such as one of about the same size and shape as a rail spike, the fastener is prevented from turning in the tie-plate hole. As a result, the railengaging arm of the fastener can not slide off the rail flange and release its grip on the rail. This fastener also serves as a creep check because it securely grips the rail at all times. Its holding ability is increased by providing the railengaging face of the arm with a transversely flat bearing surface.

Another feature of this invention is that the upper portion of the fastener shank is provided y with a shallow notch I6, preferably in the side farthest from the rail. This notch is wide enough to fit over the wall of tie-plate hole 6, and is for the purpose of preventing the fastener from working up out of the tie. The notch is there fore preferable located at a point where it will engage the tie-plate when the fastener is in the most suitable position. The upper wall of the notch can serve as aguide to indicate how far the fastener should be driven into the tie, and-in some cases may actually limit the inward movement of the fastener.

fastener is inexpensively and very simple because it consists of a unitary spike-like fastening member that may readily be formed from a rod or bar of ordinary steel. It can be manufactured easily and rapidly without machining or rigid adherence to specific dimensions. Such a fastener can be quickly and easily driven into place by striking its. driving head with a spike maul or the like, and serves as a combined spike and rail anchor.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and construction oi my invention and have illustrated lower end adapted to be driven into a cross tie,

said shamk being of solid one-piece construction,

the upper portion of the shank being provided with a notch adapted to fit over one wall of a tie-plate hole in which the shank is disposed, and the top of said shank being provided with an integral extension split vertically to form an upright driving head and a laterally projecting arm for engaging the top of an adjacent rail base flange.

CHARLES W. DAWSON. 

